The present invention relates to gas turbines for power generation and, more particularly, to a method and assembly for cooling the rear bearing and exhaust frame of a gas turbine.
The gas turbine exhaust frame is conventionally cooled by circulating ambient air through the exhaust frame using external blowers. The gas turbine rear end bearing which supports the rotor shaft's static, dynamic, and thermal loads also needs to be cooled. Conventionally, the rear end bearing is cooled by blowing air using external blowers and either by a separate oil circuit or by the same oil circuit used to lubricate and lift the rotor shaft during start up.